Latino Nutrition Month reminds us of that are many healthy recipes for families!

It is Latino Nutrition Month from September 15 through October 15. This was announced by the Latino Nutrition Coalition and Oldways organization. Their goal is to raise awareness amongst the Latino community that making healthy choices can reduce the risk of chronic diseases.

The Latino population has a high rate of diabetes and heart disease:

• 10.4% of Hispanics aged 20 years or older have been diagnosed with diabetes, according to the CDC
• one in four Hispanic adults living in the U. S. was obese
• 16.8%Hispanic high school students in overweight
• 16.7% of Hispanic high school youth are at risk of b becoming overweight

As a nurse and Latina, I am very much aware of the impact that childhood obesity has amongst Latinos. This is one of the main reasons I made a commitment to have a Spanish version of all our nutrition games and tools for Hispanic speaking kids and parents.

What I love about the organization is that they are not focusing on the negative, but promoting and celebrating the healthy foods in a Latino diet.

They are offering toolkits with recipes, tips and cooking ideas on how to make healthier choices. You don't have to be a Latino to love Spanish food! There are so many delicious recipes.

In honor of this Latino Nutrition Month, they are holding a recipe contest this month.

Here are the details from their website:

Consumers should submit a recipe that uses at least two Latin American diet products (list is featured below). Winners will be drawn at the end of October, and announced on our websites. Prizes include wonderful Latino products, a new poster of the Latin American Diet Pyramid, and autographed copies of our widely praised recipe book, The Oldways Table.

*** Submit a recipe for a soup, side, main dish or dessert to Adriene Worthington (aworthington@oldwayspt.org) using at least 2 of the following ingredients: Amaranth, Avocado, Bell Peppers, Beans, Carrots, Cheese, Chicken, Chickpeas, Chilies, Cilantro, Fish, Guava, Kiwifruit, Lemons, Limes, Maize, Mango, Okra, Olive Oil, Orange, Papaya, Pasta, Peanuts, Pineapple, Plantains, Potatoes, Pork, Quinoa, Rice, Salsa, Shellfish, Soybeans, Soy Milk, Squash, Sugar/Sugar Substitutes, Tomatillos, Tomatoes, Watermelon, Whole Grain Cereals, Yuca, Yogurt.

Good luck and happy Latino Nutrition Month!